Trump administration eyes executive order on vaccines and autism

The White House is weighing an executive order that would address childhood vaccine schedules and autism research, with a possible release as early as next week. President Donald Trump has pushed for the action, urging Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to expand government studies despite a lack of scientific evidence linking vaccines to autism. Kennedy, a longtime anti‑vaccine activist, recently reconstituted a federal panel on autism, appointing members tied to groups promoting unproven claims. A March court ruling blocked key elements of his earlier effort to rewrite U.S. vaccine policy and revamp a CDC advisory panel.

White House officials acknowledge the order could affect the upcoming November midterm elections, as advisers warn that emphasizing the vaccine‑autism issue may alienate voters and provoke backlash from the pharmaceutical industry. A White House spokesperson, Kush Desai, said the administration remains committed to “the best childhood vaccination schedule in the world” while relying on “gold‑standard science.”